On 3/2/16 the Board of Commissioners of Cook County adopted a motion to refer this Ordinance to the Legislation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee with a 14-0 vote, with three Commissioners absent. The Ordinance was unanimously approved by the Committee on 10/26/16. Producer Registration opened 1/23/17.

New York – Local Ordinaces

There is over $1 billion worth of left over drugs thrown away, flushed, or stored in cabinets every year. In order to curb drug abuse and reduce water quality impacts, Rockland County now provides free access to safe drug take-back locations to residents.

Washington – Local Ordinances:

King County, Washington

On June 20, 2013 the King County Board of Health in Washington passed the Secure Medication Return Rule & Regulation to create a drug take-back program for King County residents. The program promotes the safe disposal of unused prescription and over-the-counter drugs, and will be funded and operated by the drug manufacturers. On November 27, 2013 four groups of major drug manufacturers sued the County. The suit was dismissed following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 5/26/2015 decision not to hear industry’s legal challenge to the Alameda County Safe Drug Disposal Ordinance.

Status – On October 16, 2015, King County approved the Return Meds LLC stewardship plan and rejected the King County MED-Project LLC stewardship plan. The MED-Project submitted a revised proposed stewardship plan for review in accordance with the December 14, 2015 deadline; King County accepted the plan in March, 2016. In April, 2016 the MED-Project plan was approved as the standard plan after the Return Meds LLC stewardship plan withdrew its proposal due to lack of producer support. Shortly thereafter, an implementation timeline for the program was reviewed and approved, stipulating a fully operational program by January, 2017.